The next morning, Abigail moved quietly through the marketplace at the heart of the pack. The square bustled with life, stalls filled with fresh fruit, woven baskets, herbs, and meats, omegas bartering while pups darted through the crowd with laughter. The scent of roasted bread mingled with spices in the air, but for Abigail, the vibrant place was just another reminder of her station.
She clutched a small pouch of coins, sent to buy vegetables for the kitchens. Her head stayed bowed as she moved between stalls, hoping to pass unseen. But Selene never let such chances go to waste.
"Well, if it isn't our little kitchen maid," Selene's voice rang out, sharp enough to turn heads. She stood across the market with her friends, her silk cloak gleaming in the morning sun, a cruel smile on her lips.
Abigail froze. Whispers spread instantly through the crowd. Selene approached slowly, each step deliberate, her friends trailing behind her like shadows. "Do you even belong here, omega? Or are you trying to pretend you're one of us?"
Abigail's fingers tightened on the pouch. She willed herself to stay silent, but her silence only seemed to embolden Selene. With a sudden flick of her wrist, Selene smacked the pouch from Abigail's hand, coins scattering across the cobblestones. The crowd gasped as children scrambled after the rolling silver.
"Pick them up," Selene mocked, her voice syrupy with cruelty. "On your knees, like the servant you are."
Abigail bent down slowly, her face burning with shame. She forced back the sting of tears, her trembling hands chasing after the coins. Selene's laughter rang out, bright and merciless.
But before the humiliation could deepen, another voice cut sharply across the square.
"That's enough."
Adrian's tall frame parted the crowd as he strode forward, his expression dark, his storm-gray eyes fixed on Selene. His presence alone silenced the whispers. He stopped just a step away from her, his voice low but carrying undeniable weight. "I've watched you torment her again and again. This ends now."
Selene blinked, stunned, before her face hardened. "Adrian, you don't understand. She's nothing but...."
"Finish that sentence," Adrian warned, his jaw clenched, "and I won't care who your father is."
The marketplace went still. Selene's friends shrank back, their bravado evaporating. For the first time, Selene faltered, her smirk wavering as she realized Adrian meant every word.
Adrian crouched down, gathering the last of the scattered coins himself before placing them gently into Abigail's hands. His voice softened as he looked at her. "You don't kneel for anyone, Abigail. Not for her. Not ever."
Abigail's throat tightened, unable to speak. She could only nod, clutching the pouch as if it were her lifeline.
When Adrian straightened, his glare returned to Selene. "If I see you touch her again, there will be consequences."
Selene's face flushed with fury, but she said nothing. She turned sharply on her heel, her cloak whipping behind her as she stormed away, her friends scrambling after her.
The crowd slowly dispersed, whispers buzzing about what they had just witnessed. Some looked at Abigail with pity, others with curiosity, but for the first time, she wasn't completely alone.
Adrian lingered just long enough to meet her gaze again. His expression softened, brotherly and protective. "Hold your head high," he murmured. "They don't get to break you."
Then he walked away, leaving Abigail shaken but with a tiny flicker of warmth in her chest that the cruelty hadn't managed to destroy.